Communication workers leave on annual aid trip

By Luke Byrne
– 04 September 2014 02:30 PM

A CONVOY of communications workers will today set off on a three-week, 7,000km-long journey to bring aid to Eastern Europe.

The drive is part of a yearly initiative by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), where Irish drivers link up with fellow communications workers from the UK to deliver aid by truck to charities in Europe.

conflict

Rory Duggan, an Eircom employee, told the Herald that it was his sixth year in the convoy.

"I enjoy doing it. We have a bit of banter with some of the guys from England," he explained.

Mr Duggan said that the aid trip was originally set up more than 20 years ago, when workers at the Royal Mail and British Telecom delivered supplies to Bosnia during the conflict there.

Along with Mr Duggan, his Eircom colleague Ivor Reynolds and An Post workers Gareth Daly and Brendan Medlar, have agreed to transport the goods.

At 6.30am today the convoy set off for Dublin Port to board a ship to Hollyhead, before driving six hours to Hull to meet up with their British colleagues.

The convoy has been scheduled to take the supplies to a psychiatric hospital in Romania, various orphanages in Bulgaria and a Syrian refugee camp on the border of Bulgaria and Turkey.

Among the items being transported by the convoy are clothing, winter blankets, medical supplies, children's toys and bed clothes.